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LAFAYETTE — It was Day 6 Monday of Hoosiers hunkering down to the confined to spaces of their homes, which is not unlike what Purdue professor Marshall Porterfield prepared astronauts for while he worked at NASA.

Porterfield, a Purdue University professor of agricultural and biological engineering, served five years as NASA division director for Space Life and Physical. Porterfield worked with astronauts, teaching them about living in restricted environments such as the International Space Station.

The skills are surprisingly transferable to Gov. Eric Holcomb's stay-at-home order that started March 25 because of the coronavirus emergency.

“These people really are mission oriented," Porterfield said. "They know what they’re doing has a broader interest on human impact.”

In times of social distancing and shuttered social lives, parts of life might feel meaningless. It's not.

“Collectively, the mission plan is to prevent the spread of the virus,” Porterfield said.

To that end, Indiana State Health Department's numbers Monday indicated that there are 1,786 cases of COVID-19 in the state — 14 in Tippecanoe County. The virus has killed 35 people from Indiana, including one patient in Tippecanoe County.

While President Donald Trump suggests that April 30 might be the start of returning to a normal pre-coronavirus life, that might not happen so soon in Indiana. Indiana's stay-at-home order still was set to expire April 7, as of Monday.

"We’ll adjust to the facts on the ground in Indiana," Gov. Eric Holcomb said Monday during a briefing in Indianapolis. "We absolutely factor their guidance into the decisions we make. Our numbers will determine our executive orders in Indiana."

Holcomb anticipates the number of people infected with COVID-19 will peak in mid-April or mid-May before subsiding, he said of the best estimate.

Meanwhile, Hoosiers abiding by Holcomb's stay-at-home order are trying to cope with confinement and isolation from offices and social interactions.

Focusing on the mission plan, as Porterfield said, not ourselves or those things — or people — that irritate us is helpful.

Astronauts also have a two-hour exercise program each day, Porterfield said. The workouts serve more than just to maintain muscles in space.

“There’s a lot of evidence that being physically active helps prevent depression," he said.

If you exercise at a gym, continue the workouts at home. If you don't exercise, now is good time to start, he said.

On the space station, astronauts can't just open a hatch and take a walk. But even with the stay-at-home order, people can walk. Just remember to keep a six-foot distance between you and the people with whom you're walking, Dennis said.

“We have done as much as we can to make people aware of social distancing,” Dennis said.

Many of the cities' trails remain open, but the playground and playground equipment in parks are closed because of possible spreading of the virus, Dennis said.

He noticed over the weekend people who are familiar with friends tend to violate the social distancing guidelines and walk shoulder-to-shoulder while they talk, Dennis said.

If your walking buddy isn't someone from your household, open the distance and talk a little louder, Dennis said.

All this togetherness can wear on people living in the same house, though.

Porterfield isn't surprised. Astronauts must learn how to cope with irritating situations and personality conflicts, including children who might not have an appreciation of how important the stay-at-home order is.

Explain to the children and teens and make it a team-building experience.

“It’s important for children of any age to know what’s going on,” Porterfield said. “Help them understand why and the limitations.”

When the children and teens understand, discuss the schedules and allow them input into the decisions, he said.

Ultimately, those decisions will fall to the parents, but making the children a part of those decisions is part of building the team, Porterfield said.

And when a younger or older siblings — or parents — are on their last nerve, what then?

“Hopefully you have enough space to create a buffer zone to smooth those situations out,” Porterfield said.

While in that buffer space, it's important to reflect on the situation.

"You can’t get too self-absorbed in what’s happening to you personally," Porterfield said. "There is an end to this.

“Don’t focus on self. Focus on the mission.”

And the mission is to stop the spread of the coronavirus, in case anyone needs reminded.

Reach Ron Wilkins at 765-420-5231 or at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.